Abstract

The effects on redox properties of modifying the molecular skeleton of neutral bis-2-(4-dimethylamino)-pyridinylidene electron donors, derived from 4-dimethylamino-pyridine (4-DMAP), have been explored, by varying two parameters: (i) the length of a polymethylene chain linking the two pyridine-derived rings and (ii) the nature of the nitrogen substituents on the 4 and 4' positions of the precursor pyridines. Restricting the bridge length to two methylene units significantly altered the redox profile, while changes in the nitrogen-substituents at the 4 and 4' positions led to only slight changes in redox potentials